Search age:

Escaped 'Spam King' murders family

A 16-year-old US girl, who survived when her father shot and
killed his wife and a younger daughter, says the man lured the
family into a sport utility vehicle with promises of a gift and a
final goodbye.

Eddie Davidson, 35, a convicted spammer who escaped from a
minimum-security US jail, committed suicide on Thursday after
killing his wife, Amy Hill, 29, and daughter Bailey McDaniel,
3.

Davidson was convicted of falsifying email header information
for a Texas company, earning $US3.5 million between 2003 and
2006.

He was also convicted of failing to report $US714,000 in taxable
income.

He was jailed in May after being sentenced on April 28 to 21 months
in prison. He had been ordered to forfeit any weapons in his
possession.

At the sentencing, US District Court Judge Marcia Krieger said
Davidson was not considered a flight risk nor a danger to
anyone.

After his conviction, Davidson became known as the "Spam
King".

Davidson's teenage daughter, from a previous marriage, told
investigators that her father fired a shot that grazed her neck but
that she escaped by zigzagging as she ran away.

A boy, about seven months old, also survived the attack. He was
found strapped in the back seat of the car. The identities of the
surviving children were not released.

Federal authorities had been searching for Davidson since he and
Hill drove away from the jail in Florence, south of Denver,
last Sunday.

Hill phoned police to report she had been forced by Davidson to aid
in his escape. The teenager also told investigators that Davidson
forced Hill to help him escape.

US Marshals met Hill during the week, said Ken Deal, chief
deputy for the marshals.

The 16-year-old told deputies that Davidson lured them to a home
improvement store east of Denver on Thursday, then forced his way
into the SUV.

He drove them to their former home south-west of Bennett, about 39
kilometres east of Denver, where authorities said he operated his
spamming business.

Davidson asked his family to talk about good times as they drove
to the house and asked his wife if they would be together "when
everything was over".

"Eddie pulled a gun out and would put it in his mouth and point
it to his head," the teen said.

She and Hill said, "No, Eddie, we love you. Don't do it."

Once at the house, Davidson got out of the car on the driver's
side, pointed the gun at his wife, who tried to grab it, then shot
her. He then turned and shot the teen in the neck, and Bailey, who
was strapped to a car seat.

Mr Deal said authorities were unable to determine where Davidson
got the gun. He said they were investigating whether his wife had
helped him escape.